Means for igniting the bursting charge of projectiles



March 26, 1929. N. E. METHLIN 1,706,802 7 MEANS FOR IGNITING THEBURSTING CHARGE OF PRQJECTILES Filed July 20; 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 N.E. METHLIN March 26, 1929.

MEANS FOR IGNITING THE BURSTING CHARGE Of PROJECTILBS Filed July 20,1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 5. 1. a e E A B m 2:1 mm

b A W in 2, illustrating a modification in which Patented Mar. 26, 1929.v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NICOLAS EMILIEN METHLIN, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSICNOR T0 SCHNEIDER & CIE.,OF PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY OF FRANCE.

MEANS FOR IGNITING THE BURSTING CHARGE OF PROJEC'I'ILES.

1 Application filed July 20, 1926, Serial No. 123,675,'and in FranceJuly 24, 1925.

The present-invention relates to improve ments in means for igniting thebursting charge of projectiles such as shells, explosive arrows orothers. The invention consists essentially in a. means combined with apercussion fuse and preventing the return of the flame when the firingis transmitted from the fuse to the charge; in other words the inventionconsists in a special arrangement of an additional member, combined withthe fuse, or formed by one of the members of the fuse, this arrangementbeing such that the flame from the percussion cap of the fuse or theflame from a detonating percussion cap is wholly and in the mosteflicient manner possible transmitted to the explosive charge.

The invention is more particularly adapted to use in explosive arrowscombined with a supersensitive fuse operating by driving in and inertiain which the parts of the firing mechanism (striker and percussion cap)are enclosed in a common container retained upon the fuse body or uponthe projectile and becoming separated from the latter in order to makean inward movement as soon as the mechanism. encounters an obstacleoffering even only a very small amount ofresistance. According. to theinventionthe flame from the percussioh cap igniting the charge isrevented from being propagated outwards y a safety disc or gasket whichis adapted to be deformed under the effect of the operation of the fuseand may, for example, be made of a metal of high molecular density suchas lead, this disc being integral or virtually integral with the strikeror associated with the latter in such a way as to form with it a closingmember completely preventing any return towards the exterior of theflame or the gases from the igniting percussion cap.

Various examples of employment and construction of the invention areillustrated in the accompanying'drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing the invention applied to an.explosive shell, the members being shown at rest.

Figure 2 is an elevation with part in section showing the arrangementformed by the conjugation of the striker and the deformed safety discpreventing, at the moment of ignition, any passage outwards of the gasesand the flame from the detonating percussion cap.

Figure 3 is a View similar to the oneshown the closing device iscombined with a lodgment and a container or casing of special form forthe detonating percussion cap.

Figure 4: is a partial sectional elevation of an explosive arrowconstructed to receive a percussion fuse, which comprises the closingdevice according to the invention; the members in this figure are shownat rest.

Figure 5 is a detail View in plan of the safety disc constructed andformed in such a Way as to form, with the striker, a closing device.

Figure 6 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 4 the members beingshown in the position they occupy at the moment the percussion cap isstruck following an encounter with an obstacle.

Fig. 7 shows a plurality of arrows provided with a protecting cap fortransportation.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of Fig. 7.

In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2, A is a fuse body screwed into thenose of a shell B and said fuse body comprises at its lower part alodgment a for the Support O carrying a detonatin percussion cap Gadapted to be ignited by the impact of a striker D guided in a duct aformed in the said fuse body. In order to produce this ignitionthe'striker is driven back towards the detonating percussion cap v inthe known manner, by the pressure of the gases produced by the operationof a percussion or time fuse of any known type. The drawing illustrates,simply by way of example, a super-sensitive fuse such as that disclosedin the patent to L. E. Remondy, No. 1,459,075, dated June 19, 1923, witha movable carriage F, operating by driving in and inertia, that is tosay by the driving in of the carriage after a retaining pin f has beensheared through and the displacement of detonator f relatively to thestriker b its inertia.

The closing device comprlses a deformable safety diaphragm or disc Ewhich, in this example, is integral with the striker D. .The deformabledisc or gasket is combined with a duct a preferably convergent, forexample frusto conical, formed in the fuse body in front of the guidingduct a The outer edge thus normally prevented from moving towards thedetonating percussion cap. Any

2 moeeoa forward displacement may be prevented, for able carriagecontaining the mechanism, and example, by small projections a formed bythe inertia of the percussion cap entering upon the fuse body,.beneathwhich the disc is into action when the carriage, liberated from secured.the projectile, is stopped by an obstacle.

When upon striking an obstacle, the opera- The fuse comprises a movablecarriage tion of the fuse causes the arrangement D'E comprising a casingF with which the striker to be driven in under, the effect of thepressure D, which is placed in front of it, is integral- .of the gasesfrom the percussion capj the ly formed. Upon the rear end of the casing,

needle D strikes the detonating ercussion cap pierced by an orifice Frests the independent C passing through a plastic joint C whichpercussion cap C. A deformabledisc E in' may be provided if desired. Thedisc E in the form of a spherical cup or the like, probecoming deformedtakes up the shape of Vided with a small central orifice e, the edge theseating a the arrangement D-E thus of which disc has a diameter equal-t0that preventing in a perfect manner any commuof the container F and ofthe duct in which nication between the exploder detonator and the l r aym Ve, i ecured by two Wings the outside, the arrangement D'E being fur--E between a shoulder (2- upon the fuse body ther pressed upon itsseating by the pressure and G over which the Outer g of Of the gasesfrom the percussion cap P, so the saidfuse bOdXA is bent down. AS exthatthe effects of the flame and of the exploplain d 1n (yonnectlon With theembodiment sion of the detonating percussion cap C are ShOWllv in F g 1and he safety di c an used for igniting and exploding the charge be madestrong enough to prevent shearing of the projectile in the best mannerpossible. due 0 S c 0 1 ir ng the projectile.

Owing to the very light a of th t ike The deformable dlsc in this caseperforms D and safety disc E, it is possible to make the three. fune ndisc of material which will be readily de- 1 By mean of Its locked WingsE against formed as abov d rib d a d y t b fi-" whlch the casing orcover F presses, since the ciently strong to prevent any deformation ofapex of the disc bears upon the percussion the same due to set back onfiring the projec- Cap, the disc forms a stiffening member betile. tweenthe'carriage and the fuse body until an Figure 3 shows a detonatingpercussion obstacle is struck, thus replacing the pin f of cap ofspecial form, combined with a lodgh fuse hown in Fig. ment ofcorresponding shape, formed for ex- 2- Ulltil the carriage is releasedhe disc ample directly in the fuse body A, as shown forms at the sametime a deformable disin the figure, which enables the effects of tancepiece between the striker D and the the explosion of the percussion capto be percussion cap C thus fulfilling the function made use of in astill better manner. The of the arrangement f/" (of the spring flodgment is divergent towardsthe interior, and the disc 7) in the fuseshown in Fig. 1. that is to say that it has'longitudinal walls 3. When,as the result of an impact with sloping outwards from top to bottom; itmay an obstacle even offering a very small amount be in the "form of acone frustum or ofv a of resistance, the very light carriage iparaboloid, for example, so as to form a sur stopped and the wings E areI sheared off, face for reflecting, parallel to the axis of the thecarriage F then becoming independent projectile, all the forces whichare exerted of the arrow A-BC. -By its own inertia at right angles tothis axis. the percussioncap continues its movementat The flaredpercussion cap may advantathevelocity of the arrow so that the deform-11o geously be retained in the fuse body, as shown able disc E, thecentral aperture 6 of which is 1n the figure, by a retaining socket Hwhich closed by the point of the striker D, is fiatisv easily destroyedby the gases produced by tened between the percussion cap and the fusethe explosion of the percussion cap itself and body, thus forming aperfect wad or packing which'is secured to the said fuse bodybybereventing any escape between the outer suring crimped in a groove aupon the latter. I ace of the carriage F and the lodgment, as

In the example shown in Figs. 4, 5v and' shown in Fig. 6. 6 A is a fusebody forming the front metal- The free space between the movable carlicend of a tube B, into which it'is fitted by riage and the front edge orface of the arscrewing, as shown in Fig. 4, or simply by row ma hefilled with a cork wad or plug 12 being slipped in and crimped, asshown'in I, glue upon the walls of the ring and if Fig. 6, filled withan explosive charge, the desired covered with 'a sheet of tin foil orrear end of this tube being formed by aset other suitable protectingmaterial.

of fins b which are fitted on or produced by Arrows rovided with thesuper-sensitive deforming the material of the tube. fuse according toFigs. 4, 5 and 6 may be In this example the deformable safety discpacked in bundles or packets for transport,

or gasket which, in combination with the for example as shown insectional elevation striker, forms a closing member is formed and inplan, in Figs..7 and 8, in a bucket orby one of the members of asuper-sensitive trough ,J of suitable thickness which arfuse operatingby the driving in of a movrangement prevents an untimely actuationof 1 0the firing mechanism and protects the mechanism of the bundle of arrowsfrom being struck by enemy shells.

Claims:

1; In a fuse body having-an opening and a primer and striker mechanismmounted in said opening, gasket means mounted in saidopening comprisinga soft, malleable, metal disc adapted to be deformed into fixedflametight engagement with the walls thereof on actuation of saidstriker to prevent escape of flame in one direction through saidopening.

In a fuse body having primer and striker mechanism therein, a gasketadapted to be pressed into fixed tight engagement with said body by thegas pressure generated by detonation of said primer. I 4

3. In a fuse body having an opening therein, fuse mechanism in saidopening, and a disk member mounted in said opening, the latter havingconverging walls adjacent said member, said disk member being deformedinto fixed flame-tight engagement with said converging walls bydetonation of said primer.

I. In a fuse having an opening therein, a plurality of primer andstriker mechanisms therein, and a piston member of soft, malleablematerial associated with one of said mechanisms, said opening havingconverging walls adjacent said piston, said member being adapted onactuation of another of said mechanisms to actuate said first namedmechanism and to be deformed into fixed engagement with said convergingwalls of said opening.

5. In a fuse having an opening therein, a plurality of primer andstriker mechanisms in said opening, a disc member of soft malleablematerial mounted in said opening, one of said strikers being connectedwith said-member, the detonation of one of said mechanisms deformingsaid member into fixed engagement with a substantial length of the wallof said opening and thereby actuating said last named striker.

6. In a device of the class described, a primer and striker mechanismactuated on impact with an obstacle, a disk member deformed intoengagement with the wall of the fuse on detonation of said primer, meansfor preventing motion of said disk outwardly of the device and a secondprimer and striker mechanism actuated by deformation of said disk.

7. In a fuse having an opening therein, a pair of primer and strikermechanisms in said opening, one of said mechanisms being actu ated byimpact with an obstacle, and a flexible disk member immovably secured insaid opening between said mechanisms, the detonation of said mechanismdeforming said disk into tight engagement with said wall, the striker ofthe other of said mechanisms being actuated by such deformation.

8. In a device of the class described, a primer and striker mechanismactuated on impact with an obstacle, a disk member deformed intoengagement with the wall of the fuse on detonation of said primer, and asecond primer and striker mechanism actuated by deformation of saiddisk, said second primer being contained in a recess having inwardlydiverging walls to direct the flame thereof to the bursting charge ofthe projectile.

9. In a nose fuse for projectiles, a chambered fuse body open toatmosphere on one side thereof, primer and striker mechanism mounted toslide in said chambered body and driven into the latter on impact withan object to detonate the projectile, a metal disc of soft malleablematerial deformable into flame-tight engagement with the walls of saidchambered body, and means preventing movement of said disc toward theopen side of said fuse body.

10. In a nose fuse for projectiles, a fuse body having a chamber thereinopen to atmosphere at the nose of the projectile, striker mechanismmounted to slide therein and driv on into said chamber on impact with anobject, a primer in said chamber to detonate the projectile on drivingin said striker mechanism. and a deformable gasket positioned in saidchamber between said striker mechanism and said primer and adapted onsuch impact to be forced into flame-tight engagement with the walls ofsaid chamber to completely close the latter to the passage of gasesoutwardly of said chamber.

11. In a nose fuse for projectiles, a fuse body having a chamber thereinopen to atmosphere at the nose of the projectile, striker mechanism insaid open end, a detonating primer in said chamber, and a metal disc ofsoft malleable material in said chamber between said striker mechanismand primer, said disc being deformed on detonatlon of the NICOLASEMILIEN METI-ILIN.

